Page 68 of One Night in Alaska

Shaking my head at his sarcasm, I said, “About two hours.”

Ryan laughed.

I shook my head again. “No, I wasn’t sighing because I miss Georgia, although I do wish she would’ve decided to come with us, but she’s wrapping up those last few projects she’d already taken on so that she can come and work for me full-time.”

“That’s so cool,” Ryan said. “I’m sorry I could never come and work for you myself, but I think it all worked out. The two of you are so great together. I don’t know a lot of people who could work with their significant other without them driving one another crazy, but you and Georgia are the perfect couple, so I know you can do it.”

“I’m not sure about perfect,” I said with a modest shrug. “But we’ve been getting along amazingly well since she moved up here at the end of last month. I love spending time with her, and she has some great ideas for where to take the company next. I’d be stupid not to hire her.”

I really was excited about all of the things she’d proposed. Her mind worked differently than mine did, and she’d come up with some ideas for advertising as well as special offers we could add on, like care packages and selling our own line of housewares products that we would also use in our properties. She’d spent some time scouting new properties as well as lining up magazines to come in and take photographs of various properties to be featured in their articles about home decorating. She was a genius, and I was so lucky to have found her. I was even luckier that she loved me, despite my issues, like accidentally calling her my deceased wife’s name.

“Well, I think Georgia’s one in a million,” Ryan said, tugging on his line a bit to try to get some attention. “You got lucky, man.”

“I know I did. You don’t have to tell me,” I said. Just then, my line began to move, the pole bending so far, it looked like it might break.

“Holy shit!” Ryan shouted. “That’s got to be him!”

I didn’t have time to reply. I needed to get this fish into the boat. Even though I’d already caught four other fairly good-sized fish today, if this was the salmon I’d been chasing all summer, I wanted him in my boat now. I wasn’t giving the bastard another chance.

Ryan abandoned his pole and came over to help me as I began to reel the monster in. I had to take my time, going slowly as I pulled him closer and closer to the surface. If I didn’t take my time, he might just break the line, and then I’d lose him again.

Eventually, when my arm was beginning to grow tired and my hand was getting sore, I saw the creature’s tail crest the surface of the water. I recognized him immediately. This was him—the monster I’d been chasing. And this time, I was going to get him. There was nothing in the world stopping me.

Through the burning in my arm and shoulder and the ache in my hand, I continued to reel him toward the boat, Ryan cheering me on. When he emerged from the water and was hanging there, Ryan grabbed the net and managed to scoop him into it. Together, the two of us wrangled him until he fell into the boat, his tail slapping against the floor.

Panting with sweat dripping down my forehead, I took a moment to catch my breath. The fish continued to flop around while Ryan worked the hook out of his mouth. I’d waited so long for this moment, to know that this monster was mine, that I could take him home and eat him, showing him who was boss.

But then, an image came to mind. I remembered going fishing with Georgia the first time and how she had refused to do anything but kiss the fish and toss him back into the water. I had thought it was silly at the time, but now I understood why she had done that. Georgia didn’t want to hurt another creature. She was so sweet and gentle. Even if she’d been chasing this fish for as long as I had been, she wouldn’t want to take him home and fry him up.

I took my phone out of my pocket and handed it to Ryan. “I want you to take a picture,” I told him.

“Sure, of course.” He took my phone and turned the camera on as I bent down and lifted the fish out of the net. “Say cheese,” Ryan told me.

Rather than doing that, I kissed the fish right by his big, glossy eyeball. Ryan chuckled at me.

“I got you, you wily bastard,” I told the fish.

“Nice! That fish is going to be some good eating,” Ryan exclaimed, still grinning from ear to ear.

“Maybe so,” I told my best friend. “But not for us. Not tonight.”

“What are you talking about?” Ryan asked, but he got his answer when I threw the fish back into the water. “What are you doing?”

“I’m doing what Georgia would do,” I explained. “He’s earned the right to swim off into the sunset and find his fish family. Maybe I’ll catch him again one day when I need the meat, but for now, we’ve got other fish to fry and plenty to donate to the shelter and food bank as well.”

“I can’t believe you just did that,” Ryan lamented, but he didn’t say anything else about it.

Slapping him on the shoulder, I said, “Let’s go home.”

About a half hour later, we arrived back at my house. Scents of side dishes came wafting through the air as we came inside, carrying one of the fish we’d caught, all cleaned and ready to fry up.

Georgia came to the door, wiping her hands on a dishtowel. It was the most beautiful sight I’d ever seen. She’d settled into my life perfectly, and I couldn’t be happier.

“Hey, baby,” she said with a grin. “Hi, Ryan.”

“Hi, Georgia.” Ryan was still sulking that I’d thrown the fish back, but he didn’t tell Georgia. Instead, he dismissed himself to the restroom as I hugged and kissed Georgia.

“Wow, that’s a lot of fish,” she said, looking at the clear bag I was holding.